Until next time Boston ♥️ Living abroad has been rewarding, yet incredibly challenging emotionally at times. I have had an amazing two weeks visiting my home and being reunited with loved ones. I prepare to fly back to Australia with my heart full 🇦🇺 and look forward to what’s in store as I continue forward with my studies and career ambitions. A big thank you to everyone who made this time so special and memorable. ☺️

STOP THE BLEED ❌
Today I had the opportunity to watch my friend Certified Emergency RN @jeanna_89 teach this course at Lowell General Hospital. I am so happy to get the word out on this initiative. The American College of Surgeons (ACS) and ACS Committee on Trauma have created a program intended to provide the general public with basic and easy to remember tools to prevent blood loss after trauma until help arrives! 🚁🚑 ______________________
Their goal is to train every American in basic bleeding control techniques, and have been pushing toward placing bleeding control kits in every public venue. The overarching principle is that no one should die from uncontrolled bleeding alone, and recommends that all citizens learn to control blood loss. 🔪 Similar to established CPR programs and access to public defibrillators!
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Uncontrolled bleeding is the number one cause of preventable death from trauma.
You may wonder what is “life threatening” bleeding? You may see: blood that is spurting out of a wound, blood that won’t stop coming out of a wound, clothing that is soaked with blood, bleeding in a victim who is now confused or losing consciousness, or partial loss of limbs.
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Remember the ABC’s of Bleeding
A) Alert-call 911 (or 000). Ensure your safety. B.) Bleeding- find the bleeding source. This may involve removing items of clothing/accessories as long as it is safe to do so.
C) Compress- apply pressure to stop the bleeding by 1. Covering the wound with a clean cloth or cleanest fabric available (ex. shirt) and applying pressure by pushing directly in it with both hands 2. Using a tourniquet ABOVE the source of bleeding where possible (be sure not to place on joint, go above joint if necessary) High and tight! Do not be afraid to apply too tightly. 3. Packing the wound with gauze or a clean cloth then applying strong pressure with both hands. Do not relieve pressure to check if the bleeding has stopped.

Look who I found 😷 Harvard ICU & Cardiothoracic anaesthetist @rishimd - thank you so much for showing me some of the coolest things I’ve ever witnessed this morning! I admire your dedication and passion, and can only hope to become half the physician you are. #bostonmed#anaesthesia#medicine#nerdlife

Countdown is well and truly on. Test day is quickly approaching. Less than 2 months left to finish these 8 books and question banks 📑 I doubt the end of this revision material actually exists, but MCAT I’ll be ready to never have to take you again. 🤞🏻 #countdown#MCATsagacontinues

Happy to participate in @medelita_gram’s #ShowMeYourSpecialty campaign. How do you know if Neurosurgical/Neurotrauma nursing is the right specialty for you? 😉🧠 •
Neurosurgery/Neurotrauma specifically is a challenging sub-specialty, where we have elective neurosurgical procedures as well as multitrauma admissions inclusive of severe head/spinal injuries (cerebral haemorrhages, skull fractures, unstable spinal injuries, etc.) in addition to injuries involving all other systems of the body, calling for holistic assessment skills. I thrive on the acuity & teamwork involved in this specialty, and love seeing the recovery of a severe trauma patient come full circle. 💀 What traits would be helpful to thrive in this specialty? 💀
1.) Not being afraid to get your hands dirty. • It is a very hands on, messy specialty. Every possible body fluid and often a lot of it. We handle many lines, drains (EVD, subdural, subgaleal, etc), dressings, traches, and so forth. These patients are often also in complex braces and collars and need very close and personal care for basic tasks and mobility, as well as creativity for completion of simple everyday tasks.
2.) Vigilance and thorough assessment skills • Postoperatively, patients may often experience life threatening complications (vasopasm, brain bleeds, stroke, cerebral oedema, seizures, etc). Symptoms of deterioration in some of these conditions can be very subtle until a complication becomes devastating.
3.) Compassion, patience, and ability to deescalate • This population is extremely vulnerable. Injuries to the central nervous system can effect people’s ability to think, communicate, and undertake basic movements. There are also behaviours of concern given altered conscious states.
4.) Appreciation and fascination for the central nervous system • Given its complexity, having an inherent interest and appreciation for its structures and functions will certainly help you when understanding the various complex injuries that can occur, and how it directly manifests within patients presentations and guides your plan of care.

Nightshift I can’t say you’ll ever be my favourite, but having a great team around me makes all the difference, and fuel ☕️🧠💉 Not usually one for sponsorships but I love these teas, and it’s been a nice switch from coffee overnight! 👌🏻 thank you again @teamiblends for making my nights a bit more tolerable. How do you guys survive nights? • Quote coffeeandcannulas for 15% off • 💀✨ #neurosurgery#neurotrauma#trauma

Tonight’s views. The never ending MCAT story 📚 making a dent in the material before heading back to the hospital tomorrow. 💉 A lot of the messages in my inbox lately have been asking which resources I use- the answer is Kaplan prep.- along with a variety of other visual resources such as the atlas photographed here. Hope everyone is having a wonderful start to their week. ♥️👋🏻